Stars Crossing: Survival
by Raiko Toho
Summary: Gotham is all about survival, and for Barbara, that means running errands for the rogues. She's doing fine, eking out a life in the big city- until Kara shows up and turns her world upside down. Barbara/Kara
1. Prologue

**Survival**

by Raiko Toho

Disclaimer: I don't own _DC Animated/Comics_.

Summary: Gotham is all about survival, and for Barbara, that means running errands for the rogues. She's doing fine, eking out a life in the big city-- until Kara shows up and turns her world upside down.

---

My name is Barbara, and I can't remember my real parents at all. I don't know what happened to them, only that they died or gave me up or were otherwise incapacitated, and I ended up being adopted by a wealthy family in New York. My adopted parents were alright, certainly better than they could have been, but I didn't really connect with them, so I locked myself in my room most of the time and threw myself into my studies. I was thrilled when I got my scholarship to Gotham State University, but as soon as I moved to the city and saw the headlines, I realized something had to be done if I was planning on living here.

This was what brought me to the Iceberg Lounge. When the doorman let me in, I quietly found a corner of the bar and spent the evening observing the interaction of Gotham's famed themed criminals. Night after night, I returned to the lounge, matching faces to names, getting a feel for the criminal dynamics and an idea of how to survive through them.

---

It was two weeks later when I was first approached by the Riddler.

"Riddle me this," he began, sliding into the stool next to me at the bar. "When a girl walks into the Iceberg and does nothing but sit at the bar all night, what does she want?"

"What makes you think I want anything?"

He laughed. "Oh, I like you. But no sane person would last so long amongst us criminals unless they have an ulterior motive."

"So what's mine? I may be a lot of things, but I never said I was sane."

"_Prey for a cot_," he grinned. "You are perfect." He held out a hand. "Edward Nigma, Riddler. How would you like a job?"

I shook it. "Sure, why not?"

Batman was why not, as I soon found out.

---

One Saturday morning, I woke up to find Harley Quinn asleep on my couch.

She stirred, and I hurried to get her some aspirin and a glass of water.

"Hey, thanks," the other woman said, downing the painkillers. "Who are you?"

"I'm Barbara Redmond. We, ah, met at the Iceberg last night. But you might not remember, because of that hangover you probably have."

"Oh," she nodded. "Well, nice to meetcha!" She bounced out the door.

"Yeah, you too."

---

"Harley tells me you're trustworthy," Poison Ivy said, sliding into a seat next to me. "Would you like to water my plants at the greenhouse on the toxic landfill? I need to make sure my babies are taken care of in case I'm stuck in Arkham."

"What about the toxicity?" I questioned slowly.

She waved a hand. "Oh, I'll give you immunity shots. What do you think?"

"All right." The last time I helped someone out on a job Batman came after me, but he wouldn't care about me watering a few plants, right?

---

After another narrow escape, I went to the one rogue who was never caught by the Bat.

"You want me to train you?" Catwoman asked.

I shrugged. "Yes. Please."

"It'll be painful," she warned. "And you'd have to stick to it."

I nodded determinedly. How was I supposed to finish my classes if I was in jail all the time?

"Come to the gym on Forty-Second and Main next week," she instructed. "We'll see how you feel after we start sparring."

---

"What's going on?" I asked, walking into the Iceberg.

"Oh, Jervis decided he wanted Harley to be his Alice," Riddler chortled. I grimaced as a small table thrown by a homicidal clown flew into the bar. It was followed by two chairs and the Hatter's scrawny figure.

"Enough," I said firmly before I could talk myself out of it. A rush of adrenaline filled my veins.

Joker sneered and shot me with a puff of pink gas from his lapel flower. I shook it off, suddenly very thankful I had accepted Ivy's greenhouse job.

A machine gun appeared in the clown's hands, but before he could pull the trigger, I instinctively lunged forward with a kick, knocking him to the ground and sending the weapon skittering across the floor. _Thank you, Catwoman_.

"Give up?" I placed a threatening foot over his throat. To my surprise, he started laughing.

"HA HA HA! The mouse has claws!"

"Barbara has claws," Riddler mused. "Or barbs, as the case may be. _Barbs char as a law_."

And that's where I got my reputation.

---

"You're making quite a name for yourself, you know." Two-Face came up behind me at the newly repaired bar.

"Is that good or bad?"

He flipped his coin and slid into the seat next to me. "Good. I've got an odd number of henchmen, and I'm pulling a heist tonight. Interested?"

"This isn't a 'get shot at the end of the job' deal, right?" I asked.

Two-Face grinned. "It's getting paid that you have to worry about."

I smiled; that was safe enough. "I'll take those odds."

---

"Ozzy's having trouble finding a new bartender," Harley told me. "Jonathan scared the old one off."

"Miss Redmond," Penguin began, waddling into the room. "You've been sitting at that bar almost every day for three years. Surely you know how to mix drinks?"

"I guess," I agreed cautiously. I knew how to mix every drink ever served at the Iceberg. Eidetic memory comes in handy.

"You're hired."

---

I had been bartending for about a month when one night after closing, a bat-shaped shadow swooped on me from behind, knocking me into the shelves and shattering a bottle of Scotch.

"You're paying for that, you know," I told Batman.

He glared at me. "Put it on my tab. Where's Langstrom?"

I shrugged. He glared harder.

"Where is he?" he graveled.

"I plead the fifth," I replied coolly.

He growled in disgust and stalked off in search of an easier target.

---

"Hey, Ivy, Harley." I grinned as the two walked into the Iceberg. "The usual?"

"Sure!" Harley chirped, pulling up a stool. "Hey, do that spinning thing, wouldja?"

With a flourish, I pulled out bottles of gin and tonic water, flipped them between my fingers, and poured them in a glass with some Kool-Aid powder and orange juice before sliding it across the bar.

"None for me, thanks," Ivy said.

"We're pulling a job tonight," Harley confided. "At the Gentlemen's Club."

Ivy's eyes narrowed. "You won't tell, will you?"

I shook my head solemnly. I never told.

She smiled. "Good. Help me out with the greenhouse? The flytrap is fond of you."

"Of course." I waved as they left.

---

That was my existence. I ate, slept, went to class (until I graduated early), and I spent all my free time down at the Iceberg. I didn't have to worry about money--the rogues were actually quite generous with their funds. My life was perfectly fine, but everything changed when I met Supergirl.

---

Notes:

I got Barbara's last name from the live-action Birds of Prey series; it was Dinah's.

Harley's drink is called a "Joker."

So, here's the prologue. Stay tuned-- the next couple of chapters are going to be pretty long.


	2. Part I

**Survival**

by Raiko Toho

---

"Don't give me that," I said, exasperated, "I watered your grandparents. Just get off the walls and no one has to get hurt." I waved a pair of hedge clippers threateningly. I didn't really want to use them, but Ivy, Harley, and Livewire's redecoration of the Lounge meant I wouldn't feel too guilty. "And keep your roots out of the vodka!" I ordered sternly.

"Do all redheads talk to plants, or just the ones in Gotham?"

I whirled to see a slender blonde in a red cape with the renowned S-shield on her cropped white t-shirt. She was floating gently, an amused smirk quirking her lips.

"It's just Ivy, actually," I said. "Or just Ivy who they talk back to, at least."

"Speaking of Ivy…" she said casually.

"I plead the fifth," I said automatically.

She tried a glare, and I decided not to tell her it looked way cuter on her than on Batman.

"Livewire, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn are wreaking havoc on the city," she said somberly.

"Look, Supergirl, I don't make a habit of ratting out my friends," I told her.

I was about to start hedge clipping when I caught a hint of pleading in her deep blue eyes, hidden behind her determination.

Living in Gotham is all about survival: doing whatever it takes to keep on breathing. For most people, that means working three jobs or selling their body on the streets. For me, it means running errands for the themed criminals. Poison Ivy needs me to water her plants while she's in Arkham? I'm there. It gives me a paying job and immunity to most poisons and toxins-- including Joker's SmileX gas. Two-Face wants another girl to help him out so he'll keep an even number of henchmen? Fine. It'll lower my chances of finding a couple of .22 bullets in my skull. And Penguin's offer of a job at the Iceberg keeps me around and memorable enough so that I'm even friends with a few of the less homicidal rogues. I've actually faced down the Batman for them.

So why does this little blonde superhero with her blue eyes make me want to throw all of that away?

I sighed, putting down the hedge clippers. "Livewire sometimes charges up out at the power plant by the warehouses on the wharf."

Supergirl smiled, and I looked away guiltily.

"Thank you."

She disappeared in a rush of air.

---

Apparently, Livewire had set the trend for Metropolis's villains. One night, walking home from the Iceberg, I saw a blast of flame overhead, looping across the sky and settling on the roof of a nearby building to reveal Volcana, along with Firefly. They were quickly followed by Robin on a jetpack.

"You think you can catch us?" Firefly shouted wildly. "Think again!" He swooped down and scooped up two people-- one of them being me-- and alighted on the building again, aiming his flare gun at us. "Back off, or these ladies get crisped!"

Robin hovered, unsure of his next move, while I silently cursed myself. Just because I was friendly with some of the rogues didn't mean the others would know or care, and I didn't know how to defend myself from the long-range, destructive weapons that Volcana and Firefly had.

A flash of color and a gust of wind heralded Supergirl's arrival-- she was probably tracking Volcana. "Let the hostages go!" she ordered. _Great, I'm a hostage. This is so not cool._

"Nuh-uh, Superbrat," Firefly said, pulling me closer and pointing his gun at my head. "If you so much as twitch, I pull the trigger."

She hesitated.

"I thought so. Now, fly away, little birds, and don't--" A sharp whip-crack echoed through the air, and Firefly jerked. As his grip loosened, I dropped low and into a sweep kick. The metallic-suited villain crashed to the floor as Robin plunged down to rescue the other hostage. Supergirl engaged Volcana, and Catwoman dropped down in front of a furious Firefly, claws glinting and whip extended.

"What the hell are you doing?" he snapped.

"Should've known better than to mess with one of us, Garfield," she purred, helping me up without taking her eyes off her opponent.

"Thanks," I muttered in embarrassment.

"I thought I trained you better than that, little Barb," she said quietly.

"You didn't teach me how to survive getting my head burnt off," I replied dryly.

She chuckled as Firefly, glowering all the way, activated his wings and flew off, knowing he couldn't beat a first-class rogue like Catwoman. He didn't get far before the Batplane intercepted him, tangling him in a net and hovering as the roof slid open.

"And that's my cue to leave," Catwoman said, leaping agilely off the edge of the building and flicking out the tip of her whip to catch on a nearby gargoyle.

"You guys take care of each other, huh?" Supergirl asked softly. Startled, I turned to see her standing in front of me, Volcana unconscious on the roof behind her. Frankly, I hadn't thought she would remember me-- I was just a bartender she met ages ago.

"Yeah. Yeah, we do."

She smiled and flew away.

---

It was a particularly crowded night at the Iceberg, and the tables were filled with rogues, most boisterously sharing stories about how they "almost got" Batman. I was behind the bar, polishing glasses, when the door opened and a wide-eyed brunette walked in, almost soundless in her sneakers. She fiddled nervously with the sleeves of her letter jacket and quietly found a stool at the bar.

"Welcome to the Iceberg Lounge," I greeted her. There was a burst of laughter behind her, and I snatched a razor-sharp question mark out of the air before it could thud into the oak countertop inches from the girl's fingertips.

"Eddie…" I warned.

Riddler raised his hands in surrender. "My apologies, Barb."

I returned my attention to the girl, now carefully adjusting her round, wire-rimmed glasses. "Sorry about that. My name's Barbara, but everyone calls me Barb. Can I get you a drink?"

"I'm Kara," she said cautiously. "And, um, I'm… underage."

"Don't worry about it," I said flippantly, pouring a mix of juices into a highball glass and pushing it across the counter. "Safe Sex on the Beach. Non-alcoholic." I grinned at her fiery blush and added, "On the house." Technically, it would come out of my paycheck, since Ozzy would never let me give out free drinks, but "on me" would sound like I was hitting on her. Which I wasn't.

"Thanks," she mumbled, still bright red.

"So what brings you here?" I asked.

"Oh, I'm touring some of the colleges in Gotham," Kara answered, warily sipping her drink. "I'm thinking Gotham U, but I'm not so sure about its Journalism program…"

"You're right," I agreed. "The Journalism program is crap." When she glanced at me in surprise, I continued, "I just graduated a few months ago."

"What's it like?" she asked interestedly.

I shrugged. "Like school, I guess. You do what you gotta do. Except some days you get to sleep in."

She giggled.

"But, you didn't answer my question."

"Huh?" the brunette asked.

"What brings you to the Iceberg?" I clarified. "You don't really seem like the typical villain wannabe."

"I- I don't--" Suddenly, Kara slid off the stool. "Sorry, I have to go. Thanks for the drink." She hurried out of the Lounge.

I shrugged and returned to cleaning the glasses. She'd be back, and she might be ready to talk then.

---

I was right. Kara was absent for three nights, but on the fourth, she glided in the door, found a seat, and ducked the exploding playing card aimed at the back of her head.

"Nice instincts, Kara," I said, catching it and throwing it back before it could make a mess of the bar.

"Thanks," she said. "Um, could I get a…" she coughed. "What you gave me last time?"

I grinned and poured it for her. "So, any progress on the college front?"

"I'm still thinking Gotham," she said. "I mean, I'm not even sure I'm going into journalism, and the city's so fascinating…"

"Where are you from?" I asked.

"The most boring place on the planet," Kara groaned. "I live on a farm in Kansas."

"Really?" I asked, intrigued. "I've always wanted to live in the country. Early to bed, early to rise, no big city congestion…"

"And chores," Kara complained. "Lots of chores."

"Guess it's true," I said, smirking. "The grass is always greener."

---

Over the next few months, Kara became a semi-permanent fixture at the Iceberg. She drank, listened to the grapevine, and even tried her hand at the betting pools someone or another always had going. The only strange thing was that she was always rushing off on some vague excuse.

On one such day, we had organized a poker tournament, and the staff was busy trying to keep the Lounge intact while various rogues accused each other of cheating. Kara was the only person left at the bar, and she looked vaguely bored, as I was swamped with drink orders.

"Do you want to play?" I asked. "I'll buy you in."

"No thanks," she declined, laughing. "I'm not much good at poker." She blinked and tilted her head. "And, uh, I have to go. See you later?"

"Bye," I said, but she was already gone.

Seconds later, Supergirl came crashing through the front wall, plowing a line across the floor, smashing the poker table, and scattering chips across the room.

"Sorry!" she called amongst the angry muttering of the rogues. "Sorry, I'm just leaving." She staggered to her feet and was about to fly off when Bane followed her through the wall, widening the hole she had created.

With a bellow, he charged, dialing up the amount of Venom in his veins. Supergirl flew at him, and they collided in the middle of the room.

Ignoring the admittedly humorous image of Bane the behemoth grappling with a small, blonde girl, I shouted, "Hey! If you're going to fight, take it outside!"

"Sorry," Supergirl panted again as she rolled by. I somersaulted out of Bane's path, ducking behind the bar, then found a large shard of glass in the carnage of bottles and glasses.

"Last warning!" I yelled. When the fight didn't subside, I scrambled on top of the counter, calculating my next move, then leaped to land on Bane's back and slash his Venom tubes. Immediately, his muscles started deflating, the tubes leaking a toxic-looking green fluid.

"Ergh," I muttered, dropping to the ground. "That's disgusting."

"Thanks," Supergirl said.

I raised an eyebrow. "Just doing my job." I turned my attention to Bane as a whoosh of air told me Supergirl had gone. "And you can expect a bill for repairs."

---

_The Iceberg was unusually empty, devoid of all people except for me and Kara. Contrary to our usual places, we were both sitting on the same side of the bar, with drinks resting in front of us._

"_Wanna know a secret?" Kara asked coyly. "I'll tell you, if you really want to know."_

"_Sure," I said, sipping my drink. It was an Earthquake, and I noticed Kara had her usual Safe Sex on the Beach._

"_Alright, then." She slid off the stool and began slowly pulling off her letter jacket. My face flamed. Was I really dreaming about Kara stripping?_

_As her jeans and sneakers disappeared, my eyes drifted down to her long legs, now barely covered with a tight blue miniskirt and knee-length red boots, then back up to her face, before widening in shock. Gone were her wire-rimmed glasses and her pony tailed brown hair. Instead, long blonde locks flowed across her shoulders, and her blue eyes were clear and unconcealed. And the finishing touch: her crop top sported the universal _S_ symbol. S for Superhero._

My eyes flew open and I sat bolt upright in bed. "Holy crap."

---

The next time I saw Supergirl was when she was wrapping up a job with Batgirl. I didn't know much about the dark vigilante, except that she had a reputation for being small, silent, and a scary good fighter, so I waited to approach until the shorter girl left the alley.

"Hey, Kara," I said casually, stepping out of the shadows.

"Hey," she said unthinkingly. Then she blanched. "Um, who's Kara?" she asked unconvincingly.

"So it's true," I said, sitting on an abandoned crate.

She sighed in defeat. "Yeah. How'd you find out?"

"You have the same face," I pointed out. "And I have eidetic memory." _And a strange subconscious,_ I added silently.

"Great," she grumbled. "I thought the glasses would do it."

"Just answer me this," I said coldly. "Why did you come to the Iceberg? To have an in with the rogues?"

"No!" she said, shocked. "I came because of you! I thought--"

"What?" I snapped. "That you could rehabilitate me? That because I'm a little unorthodox, I'm need help? Well guess what, Kara? You thought wrong." I stormed out of the alley.

"I thought we could be friends," she said softly.

_We can't be friends,_ I thought bitterly. _Not when I can't trust you._

---

Weeks passed, and with each day, I grew more pensive and distracted. There were several close calls when I almost mixed up the drinks orders-- thank goodness I caught them; Ivy wouldn't have taken kindly to me trying to serve her a Harvey Wallbanger. Ultimately, I decided to take action.

"Can I ask you something, Selina?" I anxiously wiped down the counter. "And will you promise not to claw me?"

She looked up from her drink. "Depends on what you ask," she said.

I took a deep breath. "What's it like, loving a hero?"

She stared a me for a long moment. Finally, she said, "It's a lot of work, but if you-- if you both-- put effort into the relationship, it'll be worth it in the end."

"Thanks," I said, giving Selina a quick hug. "I needed that."

"That's what I'm here for," she smiled.

When closing time rolled around and the Lounge emptied out, I stood in the back alley and stared up at the smog-covered sky.

"If you're listening," I said quietly, "I wanted to tell you I'm sorry for what I said. I'm willing to give friendship a try if you are."

Suddenly, Supergirl-- no, Kara-- was standing in front of me. "I'm sorry too," she said. "For not telling you."

"It doesn't matter anymore," I waved it off with a tentative grin. "Want a drink?"

---

Life wasn't quite the same after that, but it was close enough. There were little moments of awkwardness-- like when Riddler declared his opinion of Superman's intelligence (low), or when Hatter started ranting about his latest plot (brainwash the superheroes and pit them against each other), but we eventually settled into a "don't ask, don't tell" policy. So, the rogues got to implement their plans, the heroes didn't get any inside info, and both Kara and I got to keep a friend.

---

One night, Kara bounced into the Iceberg, waving an envelope. "I got in!" she called happily. "Gotham U, here I come!"

"Congrats," I said, pushing her a drink. "Here's to celebrate."

She blinked down at the small shot glass. "What's this?" she asked.

"A Quick Fuck," I answered, pleased that Kara no longer blushed at the slightest provocation. "It's got liqueur in it, but what's a party without alcohol, right?" She hesitated. "C'mon, give it a try."

She downed the shot, then coughed and spluttered as she thumped the glass on the counter. "Okay," she gasped, "I think I'll stick to the mocktails."

I laughed and poured Kara's usual. As I handed it to her, her eyes sharpened.

"What's that?" she asked, pulling up my sleeve to reveal finger-shaped bruises. "Who did this to you?"

"Nothing," I said, reclaiming my arm. "It's just Batman, that's all."

"Just Batman?" she growled. "I think I need to have a talk with him."

"No, don't," I cajoled, catching her wrist before she could run off. "He'll just say something like," I lowered my voice into the Bat-gravel, "'my city, my rules.' And besides," I continued, "I can handle myself. If he starts bugging me, I'll just slap him with a harassment suit."

Kara grinned weakly. "Fine," she said, defeated. But the steely glint in her eyes told a different story.

I shrugged, satisfied; as long as she was discreet about it. I hung around enough stubborn people to know it was useless to try and stop them.

---

Kara had just flown over the farm when she was intercepted by Superman.

"Kara, we need to talk," he said seriously.

"Alright," she floated down to land in the loft of the barn. "What about?"

"I'm a little concerned about how much time you've been spending in Gotham," he began. "What business do you have there?"

"Well, I do go to college there," she pointed out.

"College hasn't started yet," he retorted. "What were you doing?"

"Tried a Quick Fuck and didn't like it, so I went with some Safe Sex on the Beach-es," she said casually.

His eyes bulged. "Kara…" he said in a strangled tone. The blonde quickly found a camera and snapped a picture of his face.

"Relax, Clark," she laughed. "They're drinks. I went to a bar and had a few drinks, that's all."

"You're underage," he said sternly, recovering from his outrage.

"How many drinks would it take to put a dent in my liver?" she asked sharply. "And besides, it was only the one time. Normally I stick to non-alcoholic."

"Normally?" he spluttered. "How often have you been going to this bar?"

"Why don't you ask Batman?" she replied angrily. "He's the one who told you, isn't he? What, he doesn't want me there because he can't beat up the bartender while I'm around?"

"What kind of bar are you going to that Batman needs to beat up the bartender?" Clark shouted.

"He doesn't need to beat her up!" Kara cried. "Just because she's actually friends with the rogues doesn't mean she has to rat them out at his beck and call!"

"Friends with-- Kara, I don't want you around someone who consorts with villains," Clark ordered.

"Oh, you don't want me around someone who consorts with villains," Kara mocked. "Well guess what, Clark? _I_ consort with villains. Last week, Harley Quinn taught me how to do a handstand. What are you going to do about it?"

He ignored the challenge. "Stay away from those criminals," he commanded. "In fact, stay away from Gotham altogether."

"No, Clark, I won't!" Kara screamed. "You know why? Because those _criminals_ are my friends! And that's more than the rest of you _super_heroes can say!"

She flew out of the barn, a sonic boom echoing across the sky. Hopefully, Barb would have a place for her to sleep.

---

When I answered the door to a quiet but insistent knocking, I found Kara, clothes rumpled, in her blonde hair, and wearing glasses.

"Hey," I said, surprised. "Come in." Taking in her disheveled appearance, I added, "Need a place to stay?"

"Thanks," she said in relief. "I, um, had a disagreement with my cousin."

"Yeah, I know what it's like," I said, then frowned as I thought over my words. "Actually, no, I don't. But I can imagine. Want anything? Coffee, tea, orange juice?"

"I'm fine," Kara said softly, sitting on the couch.

"How about ice cream?" I asked, poking my head into the freezer. "We could make this into a slumber party."

"Alright," she said with a small smile.

"Want to get changed into something more comfortable?"

"But I don't--"

"Go," I herded her into the bathroom. "Take a shower. I'll lend you something when you get out."

Before I could close the door, she glanced at me over her shoulder. "Thank you," she said again.

"For what?" I asked. "I'm just being a friend."

"Thank you for being my friend." There was an odd look in her blue eyes when she closed the door.

"Thank you for being mine," I murmured.

---

Kara crashed at my apartment for a week or so before they-- in the form of a black-haired boy knocking on the door-- found her. When I answered it, he smiled impishly.

"Hi, I'm looking for Kara."

"Name?" I asked.

"Robbie."

"Just a minute," I said, closing the door in his face. "Hey, Kara!" I called. "There's a Robbie here to see you!"

"I'm not here!" she called back.

I opened the door again. "She's not here."

"But… I just heard her," he said.

"She's not here," I repeated.

"Okay…" he said slowly. "I'll just… come back later."

I nodded cheerfully. "You do that."

---

Second contact was a package mailed to the apartment, addressed to Kara.

"Are you going to open it?" I asked.

"I don't know," she said uncertainly. "I guess so." With one motion, she tore off the paper, then opened the box to find a black and yellow comm set with the letter T painted on the cover. Suddenly, it flipped open, and the screen crackled to life.

"Greetings, Supergirl," a red-haired boy in a yellow and red costume announced. "I am Kid Flash, representing the Teen Titans, a younger counterpart to the Justice League. It would… uh… greatly appreciate… no wait-- Robin! I forgot the speech!"

I snickered as Kara sighed. "Did Superman put you up to this?" she asked.

"No," he defended indignantly. "Well, okay, kinda. But we woulda invited you anyway!"

"Thanks," Kara said, "But I'm not ready to join a team yet. And could you tell Superman to back off?"

"Uh, yeah, I'll pass it along." He looked a little alarmed at the thought, and I held back a laugh. "But, you know, if you change your mind, the offer's always open."

"Thank you." She closed the communicator and exhaled noisily. "When will they give up?"

I shrugged. "Knowing those hero types, they won't. Not without help, anyway. You'll just have to convince them to."

---

Then, they brought out the big guns. Superman himself had cornered Kara at the apartment one night when I got back from work.

"I just don't think you should be staying in this city," he was saying as I closed the front door and dropped my bag in the hallway. "What about your schooling?"

There was a long pause, and Kara said frigidly, "Oh, no need to change, Superman, Barb knows my secret identity. I trust her. And, incidentally, she's home schooling me. You know, until I start college? I'm an adult, Kal, I don't need you to make my decisions for me."

As I came into the living room, I saw Kara glaring angrily on the couch, with Superman standing uncomfortably by the window. "Hi," I said with a smile. "Want anything to drink?"

He looked taken aback. "No thank you."

"Well, I'll be in the kitchen. Just yell if you need me." As I rounded the bend out of view, I heard an odd rumble, then Kara saying, "She's perfectly capable of teaching me, not that I need it. I grew up on a planet where nuclear reactors are primitive, remember?"

I pulled on a pair of headphones to give the pair a little privacy, then started making a sandwich. Kara came in as I was pouring a glass of milk to wash down the peanut butter, resting her head on the kitchen table.

"I can't believe him," she muttered. "He thinks he can just tell me what to do?"

"He probably means well," I said, gulping down the milk. When she stared at me, I added, "Don't let that stop you from giving as good as you get it, though."

"Thanks." Kara heaved a sigh, then changed the subject. "You have a milk mustache." She gestured me closer, then, with a napkin, carefully wiped off the liquid.

"Um, thank you," I stuttered.

She looked away for a second, a hint of pink staining her cheeks, then smiled. "What are friends for?"

---

On the subject of bedrooms: see, the apartment I'm living in only has one. I never thought another would be necessary, so I didn't bother to get one. Now, with Kara staying in Gotham, we could eventually split the rent on a nicer place, but at the moment, it was either sleep on the couch or share the bed. We chose the latter.

So, when Kara woke up screaming, she ended up screaming in my ear, which woke me up too.

"Woah! Hey, you okay?" I asked, staring at the panicked blonde.

"Yeah." She took a deep, shuddering breath. "Just old memories about Argo."

"Want to tell me about it?"

"Want to hear about it?" she rejoined, sighing. "It's nothing, anyway, Kal just mentioned something about Gotham winters. There's not much to tell."

"Sure there is," I said, sitting up. "Like, what is Argo, anyway?"

"Argo is my home planet," she said softly. I was surprised-- wasn't Superman from Krypton?-- and said as much. "It's the sister planet of Krypton," she clarified. "After Krypton exploded, the shockwave almost destroyed Argo, and it was pushed out of orbit. There were only a few people left alive in the wasteland, and we were slowly freezing to death.

"My parents built cryo-tanks, in hopes that we'd be able to stay alive, but something must have gone wrong. When I woke up on Earth, Superman told me I was the only survivor." Kara blinked rapidly, staving off tears. "I used to dream I would save everyone, but now they're all gone-- my parents, my brother, my friends--"

I hesitated as she burst into wracking sobs, unsure of what to do. In the end, I carefully wrapped Kara in a hug, relieved when she clung tighter instead of pulling away.

"It'll be alright," I murmured. "They would have wanted you to live, right?"

She nodded, sniffling slightly, and I delicately wiped away her tears with the pad of my thumb.

"So, all you can do is remember them," I continued, uncertain if I was saying the right thing. "And, um, celebrate their life, and not just grieve."

"Thank you," she said, pulling us flat to the sheets again with red and blonde strands mixing on the pillows, then snuggled closer. "You always know exactly what to say."

"That's what friends are for, right?"

"I'm not sure I want us to be just friends," Kara mumbled.

I gaped at her as she settled into a deep, even breathing pattern, not sure I had heard her correctly. Finally, I fell asleep, but not before pressing a tentative kiss to Kara's cheek and seeing her faint smile.

---

Apparently, this whole Superman issue had been bugging Kara more than I thought-- literally and figuratively. Superheroes and letters and packages from them were appearing on my doorstep (in one case, the superhero was in the package). They were all looking for Kara, and she was quickly getting fed up with sending them away.

"Argh!" Kara groaned, falling backwards to sprawl haphazardly on the bed. "Summertime is supposed to be relaxing, not when you get nagged by everyone and their brother! Sometimes I wish we could just run away from it all!"

My head jerked up. "Why not?"

"What?" she asked.

"We could do it," I said. "A roadtrip, to Disneyland or Niagra Falls or something." As I pondered the options, I quickly got more excited. "Yeah! We leave a note on the door, I tell my boss I'm taking a vacation, and you put your hero business on hold! Let's do it! Let's run away!"

Kara grinned. "You think we can do it?"

"Hell yes!" I said enthusiastically.

"Alright. Let's do it!"

Of course, it wasn't quite so simple. I also had to clear my absence with the rest of the rogues, in case they needed me for their errands, and Kara needed to figure out just what "putting her hero business on hold" meant-- of course she would be available for emergencies, but what counted as an emergency and how would they contact her?-- but otherwise, it was easy enough. My car, barely used but drivable, would probably survive the cross-country trip, and if it was really necessary, Kara could fly us back, though that would take the fun out of it.

So, we loaded our essentials into the back of my beat up old Toyota and meandered towards sunny California, making plenty of truck stops along the way.

"So, what is Disneyland?" Kara asked over a slice of pie in a diner somewhere in Nevada.

"Um, the happiest place on Earth?" I shrugged. "I went once when I was a kid, but I don't remember much, except that the roller coasters freaked me out."

"Roller coasters?"

I smiled. "Guess you'll see when we get there."

---

And she did see. For ten solid hours, we rode rides, ate junk food, and watched shows, happily wearing our souvenirs of the trip. When it started getting dark, I tugged Kara to the exit.

"What about the fireworks?" she protested as we pushed through the turnstile.

"What about them?" I asked. "I've got a better idea."

We made our way down the street and over a fence to find ourselves on a soft, sandy beach, where I had already laid out a blanket and unpacked a picnic basket. The bright lights of the Magic Kingdom sparkled across the man-made lake, casting stretched out reflections over the dark water.

"Wow," Kara said in awe, eyeing the spread. "You did all this?"

"Yeah," I said, embarrassed. "It wasn't that much trouble."

We settled down to dine on the simple meal. After a while, I checked my watch, then pulled a bottle and two glasses out of the basket.

"Apple cider," I said, pulling off the foil cover. "I'll just--" I stared at the cover of the bottle and groaned. "Be a dork and forget to bring the bottle opener."

Kara laughed. "Here, let me." She reached over and gently twisted off the metal cap.

"Thanks," I said, reclaiming the drink and pouring it, then handing a glass to her. "Here's to summer, or the last few months you have before getting trapped in school again."

"To summer," she echoed with a smile.

We clinked our glasses together. Right on cue, the fireworks started up, explosions of color arcing across the night sky.

"It's beautiful," Kara whispered.

"Yeah," I affirmed softly, carefully sliding an arm around her waist. She responded by smiling brilliantly and draping her arm over my shoulders.

We sat until the last vestiges of light flickered out.

---

The drive back towards Gotham was a bit different. There was a new kind of energy between us, an electricity linking our fingertips when we reached for the radio at the same time or bumped hands passing food around. Kara didn't seem to pay much attention to it, so I took the initiative, one night somewhere in the Midwest.

"Hey, Kara, want to go out tonight?"

She looked up. "Sure."

_Okay, now for the bomb to drop._ "Like… on a date?" I continued cautiously.

She beamed. "Of course."

So, we went to a movie (an action flick), had dinner (at a café with the best espresso in the state, according to the sign), and took a walk in the park. Each time our hands brushed, I had to fight back the rising flush in my face, acutely aware of the distance between us.

"The stars are nice tonight," Kara said, pausing on the graveled path to stare at the tiny pinpricks of light. "Wanna just watch them for a while?"

"Alright," I said, letting her lead me to a patch of grass. We lay down, crushing the soft green blades underneath us, and surveyed the field of stars above us.

"That constellation looks kind of like a pineapple, don't you think?" I said unexpectedly, to break the silence. Kara laughed lightly.

I turned to face her, to see her looking back at me with an unreadable look in her eyes. Suddenly, I was aware of how close we were to each other.

"Kara," I breathed.

"Yeah?" she responded just as quietly.

Carefully, I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers.

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Do you even have to ask?"

---

Notes:

The first scene is from "Girls' Night Out," as is the "grass is always greener" line.

According to the official Animated Series site, Barbara graduated from Gotham State University with a degree in computer sciences. What she's doing in a bar is a complete mystery.

Somehow, I always get Barbara to corrupt Kara with underage drinking and gambling. Sigh. (see my other fic, _Ballad_.)

Batgirl is Cass Cain, from the comics.

Ivy and the Harvey Wallbanger would be a bad idea, since she and Two-Face (Harvey Dent) used to date.

"Robbie" is Robin-- Tim Drake, at the moment.

Yes, some of us actually have forgotten to bring a bottle opener. We had to stab the cap open with a pair of scissors.

The pineapple constellation is a reference to Willow and Tara from _Buffy the Vampire Slayer._

There'll be a drink index after the epilogue, if you're interested in knowing what exactly a Quick Fuck is made of.


	3. Part II

**Survival**

by Raiko Toho

---

It was late by the time we reached the apartment, but I wasn't tired. Due to my night job, my schedule had evolved to the point where I woke up at noon, and dropped off at around three the next morning. Kara, however, was a "rise with the sun" kind of girl, and immediately collapsed on the bed, though I wasn't ready to let her doze yet.

"Can I ask you something?" I climbed in and curled up around her.

"Hmm?" Kara mumbled drowsily. She blinked the sleep from her eyes.

"Why me?" I asked lazily tracing circles on the back of her hand. "Wouldn't you rather, I don't know, settle down with a nice guy and continue the species?"

Kara grinned. "If you find someone that could continue the species, let me know." I stared at her quizzically. "It's like horses and donkeys," she clarified. "Our species look alike, but they're actually very different. We probably couldn't even have kids, but if we could, they'd be genetic dead ends. I think it has something to do with an uneven number of chromosomes."

"What about Superman?" I joked.

"Kryptonians and Argosians aren't the same species either," Kara half-lectured. "They're pretty similar, but we've been isolated so long, we evolved differently. And besides…" she made a face. "Ew!"

I laughed.

"What about you?" she asked. "Don't you want to start a family?"

"I don't think so," I shook my head. "The world is so overpopulated already, and there are so many unwanted children just floating around in orphanages and foster care. If I want kids, I could just adopt one of them. You know, keep the karma going." It was my turn to explain at her confusion. "I was adopted when I was a baby."

"What happened to your parents?" Kara inquired.

I shrugged. "Dunno. I never really looked them up."

"Aren't you curious at all?"

"Now that you mention it…" I gazed up at the ceiling. "Yeah. I am."

---

It was unexpectedly easy to find my birth parents; I spent some time on my laptop trawling through the Social Services database until I found my birth certificate.

"Roger and Thelma Gordon," I murmured. "Deceased." That wasn't much of a surprise. "Next of kin-- holy crap!" My eyes widened in shock.

Kara was by my side immediately. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," I laughed cynically. "I'm only the niece of Gotham's own police Commissioner, James Gordon."

"Is that so bad?" she asked me.

I stared at her. "Kara, I've spent most of the last five years fraternizing with the lawbreakers my uncle arrests. How is this not bad?"

"Well, when you put it that way…"

I slumped. "In any case, the police station is going to be a very awkward place to be."

"Cheer up," Kara said, giving me a hug. "Just give me a call, and I'll be right there with you. It can't be that horrible. Besides, why would you even go there if you want to avoid it so much?"

I gave her a wry look. "You realize you just jinxed it?"

---

I was right. Barely a week later, I got a call and went down to the police station to find a sheepish Kara, detained for driving a stolen car. The car wasn't stolen-- it was mine-- but when she got pulled over for speed limit issues, they found out she didn't have a license, either. Luckily, I had prepared for something like this.

"Jeez, Kara," I said, pulling out a card. "I can't believe you forgot to bring your license with you."

"Sorry," she muttered as the officer inspected her ID. It was fake, of course, but Eddie knew a guy whose forgeries were as close to perfect as they could get. I had commissioned it in case Kara got busted for underage drinking, but it worked just as well for unlicensed driving. "Thirty miles an hour is just so… slow."

"No problem," I said tensely, carefully avoiding eyeing the exits. "Let's just get this cleared up and get out of here. Fast." _Before we run into him,_ I added silently.

No such luck. Just as we were leaving, a squadron of men I recognized as Black Mask's cronies stormed in and aimed their guns at us. "Nobody leaves," they ordered.

A stream of expletives ran through my mind. We were too close to the action; Kara couldn't duck away and make a reentrance as Supergirl. Black Mask didn't hang around the Iceberg, but I knew his men were well-trained and I couldn't possibly stop them myself-- my hand-to-hand just wasn't that good, plus they had guns and weren't squeamish about killing.

As they ordered us on the floor, the majority of the force trooped towards the interrogation rooms-- presumably where their leader was being kept after getting caught by Batman. Fighting the remaining three men had considerably better odds, but a distraction would be nice.

Glancing over, I made eye contact with Kara, and, with a small jerk of my head, gestured at the guns. Understanding, she lowered her glasses and trained her heat vision on the weapons.

When the first man dropped his gun with a yelp and a sizzle, I leaped up and tossed him into his two companions, then kicked the dropped guns-- the ones that hadn't melted into a molten heap-- away from them and towards the police. Behind me, I felt a gust of wind and knew Kara was already gone. Deprived of their weapons and stunned from the sudden attack, the invaders were easy to subdue, and the sounds of fighting from the interrogation rooms told me Supergirl had showed up.

By the time Batman arrived, the entire mess was already cleaned up. All the henchmen were locked up, as was Black Mask, and I was standing off to the side, uncomfortably waiting for Kara.

"Who took them down?" the Dark Knight asked Commissioner Gordon, examining the puddles of weapon on the floor.

"Supergirl handled the ones in the interrogation room," Gordon said, "but this young lady dealt with the ones out here." He nodded towards me, and I held back a grimace-- I had been hoping I'd be able to leave unnoticed.

Batman raised an eyebrow through his cowl. "Miss Redmond. Defecting to the other side?"

"You wish," I retorted.

"You've met?" Gordon asked.

"I've met lots of people," I said, daring the Knight to butt in with what kind of people. He didn't.

I caught sight of Kara waiting by the car and edged towards the door, eager to end the conversation. "Nice talking to you, but I'm gonna head off now. You know, places to go, people to see…" The Commissioner was distracted by a passing cop and I made my escape, conscious of the Bat's stare drilling into the back of my skull.

---

Back at the apartment, I flopped on the bed, looked at the clock, and groaned. I had to go to work in an hour, leaving me no time to catch a few winks after that exhausting day.

Kara flopped next to me. "That wasn't so bad."

I rolled over to face her. "What?"

"Well, we beat the bad guys, no one got arrested-- well, no one that shouldn't have been arrested-- and you got to talk to the Commissioner."

"I think that's pretty bad," I grumbled. "I didn't exactly want to talk to him, remember?"

"Why?" Kara asked. "He got a pretty good first impression, didn't he?"

"Are you kidding? Batman was there-- I kept thinking he would out me!"

"You could talk to him later. You know, without Batman," Kara suggested.

"No way!" I sat up, Kara doing the same a second later. Her eyes followed me from the bed as I stood and paced around the room. "From now on, I'm staying the hell away from that police station."

"I really think you should talk to him again," Kara pressed. "I mean, he's like your only living relative, isn't he?"

"Which is why I don't want to alienate him!" I retorted.

"It's not like he hates you or anything," Kara objected.

"You know what?" I snapped, pulling my trump card. "I'll talk to my uncle when you talk to your cousin."

Immediately, Kara shut down, face going blank. "That's not the same," she said stonily.

"It's exactly the same," I snarled. "Or I guess the great hero doesn't play by the rules of the commoners?"

"You know what? I _will_ talk to him," she growled, incensed.

"Fine!" I said hotly.

"Fine!"

I stalked out of the room.

---

Later that night, I had calmed down some-- focus was crucial when serving a capricious crowd like the rogues-- and was cleaning the counter as the customers trickled out. The door opened, and I glanced up.

"Sorry, we're clo--" I stopped talking as I caught sight of the figure; it was Kara.

"Hey." She smiled timidly.

"Hey," I said back, accepting her unspoken apology and offering my own. "Give me a second to close up, okay?"

As we stepped into the brisk Gotham night air, Kara spoke up. "So, um, I talked to him."

I glanced over in surprise, but remained silent.

"He, ah, somehow roped me into joining the Teen Titans." She glowered lightly. "So, every Saturday, I'm heading to San Francisco to join in on the team spirit."

I grinned. "Who else is on this team of yours?"

"Robin, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, Raven, Starfire, Beast Boy, Terra…" Kara ticked them off on her fingers. "And Cyborg."

"Huh. That's a pretty good team."

"I guess," Kara acknowledged. "Oh, and have you heard about the Justice League? They're expanding."

"Who?"

"Pretty much every hero who isn't already part of a team, and sometimes even if they are," Kara told me. "Apparently, since they were all talking to each other anyway, they decided to coordinate." She paused, as if reconsidering what she was about to say.

"Let me guess," I sighed. "I get to talk to my uncle now, right?"

Kara looked embarrassed. "Well, I didn't want to say anything…"

"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled. "I'll do it. Just give me some time, alright?"

---

"Some time" eventually turned into a long time, and I watched as Kara's re-established superhero duties kept her worn out, but content. I was stalling-- _when the crime spree's over _or _after they catch that serial killer_-- and we both knew it, but I kept putting off the meeting until one night about two months later.

"What's that?" Kara asked as I tossed the envelope onto the table and stared at it.

Wordlessly, I tore it open and dumped its contents on the table. Kara shuffled through the papers.

"Social security, drivers license, passport…" she frowned. "These aren't in your name."

"They are now," I said tiredly. "I had it legally changed."

"Oh," she said in comprehension. "So that's why you were waiting."

"Yup," I confirmed.

Kara glanced down at the records, then back up with a smile. "Barbara Gordon. It suits you."

"I suppose." I sighed and slouched down. "But I can't imagine the trouble I'm going to have telling everyone about this."

Kara tilted her head. "If it's so much trouble, why change your name in the first place?"

I hesitated, then took a breath. "Looking at you," I explained uncertainly, "you know, seeing how happy you were being on speaking terms with your family… I dunno. I guess I just thought being a Gordon would somehow let me have that, too."

Kara nodded understandingly. "You know you're part of my family, right?"

I gave her a quick kiss. "I know."

---

My name was big news at the Iceberg. Some rogues, like Mr. Freeze, didn't care. One rogue, Selina, just stared inscrutably. But the vast majority was shocked and indignant.

"Your motivation for modifying your moniker to match that municipal menace is beyond me," Eddie slurred in outrage, waving his whiskey in the air. A shout of agreement resounded in the room.

"It's not because of the Commissioner," I lied, raising my hands helplessly. "It's a coincidence! It's just my birth parents' names, that's all!"

They seemed to accept that answer. Batman, however, was far more skeptical when he swooped in after closing time.

"Miss Redmond," he stated. "Or, should I say, Miss Gordon?"

"What?" I retorted defensively.

"Why the sudden name change?" he rumbled. "Trying to get an in with the police?"

"No!" I refuted, tired of that same question. He barreled on.

"That's why you went after Black Mask, isn't it?" the Dark Knight theorized. "You wanted to get in Gordon's good books."

"It's my parents' name, all right?" I shouted, losing my temper. "Is that okay with you? I changed my name to fit my parents'!"

"I find that hard to believe," he growled, "considering you just happened to meet the Commissioner right before the first papers came in."

I ignored the fact that he was monitoring my records and continued, "Did you even take into account that I might actually be telling the truth?"

"So now you're claiming to be his long-lost daughter." Batman's eyes narrowed.

"He's my uncle!" I glared, shaking in rage. "My father was his brother! Is that so hard to believe?"

"Then why haven't I found any records?" he asked, unfazed. "Don't want your _friends_ to find out?"

"To keep snoops like you out of my business!" I clenched my fists and breathed deeply, trying to calm down. "You know what? Fine. Believe whatever you want. But get the hell out of here. Right now."

After a moment, the Dark Knight turned with a flash of his cape and disappeared into the shadows.

---

_Dear Mr. Gordon,_

I stopped and huffed in frustration, savagely crumpling the paper on the kitchen table and shoving it off to the side.

"I can't do this!" I complained, thumping my head down on the table.

"What's wrong?" Kara asked, appearing beside me.

"This! Everything!" I gestured wildly at the table, littered with scraps of paper, all with false starts written on them. "What am I supposed to tell him?"

Kara sat down next to me. "Lay it out. Say who you are and why you want to talk to him."

"I know, but it's so unexpected," I said. "A shock like this… I should be polite about it, right?"

"Just be yourself," Kara advised. "Don't pretend to be someone you're not."

"Fine," I sighed, knowing she was right. I pulled another piece of paper towards me, then set the pen down.

_Hi, I'm Barbara…_

---

A week later, Jim called and agreed to see me at the La Bella Italia. It was a fancy place, so I put on a nice dress and twisted my hair up into a bun, then went to meet him. Kara dropped me off-- the traffic was tight, especially with the pouring rain.

"Good luck," she called as I dashed into the restaurant.

He was already at the table. The waiter gave us our menus, and we sat in uncomfortable silence as I cringed and stared down at the place settings. _Not a good idea…_ This was a huge mistake.

Jim cleared his throat awkwardly. "Nice night, isn't it."

I stared dubiously at the rain sheeting down outside, punctuated by flashes of lightning and the bass boom of thunder. "Um, yeah."

After another age of silence, I abruptly stood, my chair scraping against the floor. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have--"

"No, wait." I stopped, then slowly dropped back into my seat. "I'm sure this isn't easy for either of us…"

We both glanced over when the doors crashed open, admitting a large rubber grenade, which bounced a few times before settling in the center of the room and cracking open. Clouds of pink gas hissed out, smothering the room in seconds, and everyone in range ground to a halt as they were paralyzed by the toxins. I was the only one in the room with any kind of mobility; I would have to thank Ivy again for letting me work with her poisonous plants.

"Don't move!" the Joker barked, kicking open the doors with an army of henchmen at his back, all carrying machine guns. "Who am I kidding?" he screeched. "You can't move anyway! Get the valuables, boys!" The clown-faced men got to work, methodically relieving the patrons of their jewelry, wallets, and purses.

Joker sauntered over to our table. "Well, well, well. Jimbo! It's been a while, hasn't it?" He caught sight of me and did a dramatic double-take. "And little Barb, as well!" He slung an arm over my chair and cackled. "You know, I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for your hard work," he reminisced. "Why, remember that time…"

I sat, frozen and unwilling to look up and see Jim's eyes-- Would they be shocked? Accusing?-- as Joker's ghastly grin seemed to fill his entire face. "Yes, Barbie, it's all thanks to--" he crumpled to the ground, unconscious, as I lurched out of my chair and decked him in the jaw, chest heaving in exertion. Then, without tearing my gaze from the floor, I bolted from the restaurant, tears prickling at the corners of my eyes.

Kara found me half an hour later, sitting on the balcony of the Gotham Clocktower, uncaring as rainwater soaked into my dress and slicked down my hair.

"Hey," she said, sitting next to me. If she noticed some of the wetness on my face wasn't from the rain, she didn't let on. I hadn't realized how cold I was until her warm arms wrapped around my body, driving out the chill.

I turned and buried my face in her shoulder. "Dammit," I choked out. "Why does that clown have to ruin everything?"

"It'll be okay," she murmured, gently stroking my hair. I relaxed into her embrace as she whispered into my ear. "It'll be okay."

---

A week later, I got another phone call.

"Hello?"

"It's, ah, Jim Gordon."

I stood, paralyzed. This was not a confrontation I had been expecting.

"Um, hi," I finally squeaked out.

"Listen, I think we should talk."

Which is how I ended up at the café across the street from the police station, nervously sipping a cup of coffee as the police Commissioner hurried in.

"Sorry I'm late," he said, sliding into the seat across from me and shaking droplets of water off his coat.

"It's fine," I mumbled.

"I looked at your file," he said bluntly. My head shot up. "You're completely clean, no criminal record whatsoever."

"Yeah," I said, looking down. "It's mostly been little things. You know, running errands, watering Ivy's plants, giving Harley aspirin when she has a hangover. And, um, I bartend."

"Why?"

That was the million dollar question. "Well, looking at the crime rates," I said, fiddling with a fork, "most of the people in Gotham have been the victims of some attack or another. Being friends with the criminals makes me less likely to be a statistic."

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Jim said gravely.

"Don't be," I assured him. "They're actually kind of nice, once you get to know them."

"Nice?" he asked, startled.

I frowned. "Well, not Joker. He's just a bastard."

"Language," Jim said mock sternly.

I laughed. "Sorry, sorry." _This isn't so bad, after all._

---

Kara whistled cheerfully as she rocketed towards San Francisco for her weekly Titans meeting. There was plenty of reason to be happy-- Barb was on good terms with her uncle, crime had been light for the past few weeks, and Clark had stopped subtly pressuring her to move out of Gotham. And, to top it off, she had just spent the past hour stretched out on the sunny beaches of Hawaii, away from the cold winter that plagued most of North America. Kara shuddered at the thought of the numbing chill that was so deadly on Argo, and her nightmares had make a comeback, but the option of flying away helped, as did Barb. Kara hadn't realized there were so many ways of having fun in the snow.

"Hey, Supergirl," Cyborg greeted her as she floated into the Tower and settled lightly in the main room.

"Hey," she said back. "What're we doing today?"

The Titans meetings were nothing more than glorified hang-out sessions, where they played video games, watched movies, or went out to pizza. They still fought crime, but Cyborg's elaborate alarm system could detect crime from the Tower, and no one wanted to be out patrolling when they could be lazing on the couch.

"BB's picking out a movie," the half-robot told her with a grin.

Kara groaned. All of Beast Boy's movie choices were involved horror, aliens, or both.

"Raven's vetoing," Wonder Girl added, entering the room as she tied her long, dark hair into a ponytail.

Kara sighed in relief. The darkly cloaked Titan was a little intimidating, but she knew how to keep Beast Boy under control.

"Aw, man," Terra complained. She had come in just in time to hear the brunette's statement. "Raven never lets us watch any fun movies."

"You'll get your chance," Robin said, Starfire floating beside him. "We're on a schedule, remember?"

Before Terra could reply, a red and yellow blur sped into the room. "I'mhereI'mheresorryI'mlate!"

"How can the fastest boy alive still not be on time?" Wonder Girl teased Kid Flash. "Well, you're in luck, because Raven and Beast Boy still haven't picked the movie yet."

"We have now." A shadowy shape dropped from the ceiling as a green cheetah raced in through the more conventional door and reverted to a humanoid shape.

"_Minutemen_," he whined. "Raven never lets us watch any fun movies."

"Your idea of fun doesn't match the rest of ours," Raven observed dryly.

They had just settled on the huge couch with bowls of popcorn when the large screen flickered to life, displaying Flash's face.

"We've got an emergency on our hands," he said. In the background, Martian Manhunter melted into a dragon and slammed into a mass of black-clad figures as Wonder Woman circled one with her golden lasso. The Watchtower shuddered, shaking the image, and Flash winced as a boom echoed in the distance.

"Ra's al Ghul sent a bunch of his goons up here, but we managed to get his plan from one of them," the red-clad hero explained. "He planted a bunch of bombs in a bunch of cities. One of them's in Gotham-- at the Iceberg Lounge, we think--"

"Barb!" Kara gasped. Disregarding the end of the message, she rushed out of the room like a bullet, hoping she wasn't too late.

---

The Iceberg was packed, filled with rogues coming in from the snowstorm raging outside. I was quickly handing out drinks, laughing at one of Harley's jokes-- unlike most of the ones she learned from Joker, this one was actually funny-- when Ivy came up to me and handed me a flyer.

"I don't approve of this blatant killing of trees," she told me.

"What?" Confused, I glanced down. It was an advertisement, saying the Iceberg would be serving free drinks tonight at eleven thirty, rogues only. _I guess this is why business is so good._

"They're all over Gotham," Ivy complained. "Really, couldn't you just give us a phone call?"

"These aren't from the Iceberg," I told her. "No way Penguin would give out drinks."

Ivy frowned. "Then where--"

There was a slight hissing from the vents, then all the patrons except me and Ivy slumped in their chairs or collapsed to the floor.

"What's going on?" the other woman asked me.

I grimaced. "I'm not sure. Help me get everyone out of here?" Something felt wrong, and even though it would probably be miserable in the cold, I didn't like the idea of staying in a booby-trapped building longer than necessary.

Though Ivy herself wasn't much of a heavy lifter, her plants were more than capable of doing the job. A large vine slowly undulated out the open front doors, loaded with rogues, giving me time to try and find the source of the wrongness.

Then it hit me. There was a soft, methodical ticking in the background, like a clock-- or a bomb.

"There's a bomb!" I shouted. Ivy glanced up, then gestured, and the plant began rolling faster. "Get everyone out, I'm going to try to diffuse it." Which I had no idea how to do, but I had to try or Ozzy would flamethrower me. At least I didn't have to tell Ivy not to come back for me; the rogues didn't put much stock in heroes' ideas of nobility.

I wandered over to the basement-- it seemed like a likely place, barely used except for storage-- and the ticking grew louder as I opened the door and headed down the stairs. The ground was covered in casks of fine wines, aging for that distinct taste, and in the corner was a large collection of penguin-shaped memorabilia.

The bomb was in plain sight, sitting on one of the casks in the center of the room. As I started toward it, the floor gave a loud creak, then gave away beneath my foot.

"Oh my god," I groaned, sitting on the dusty wooden floorboards with my ankle trapped in a hole. "This is so cliché." I could see the timer-- there were twenty minutes left until it blew, but that wouldn't help me if I couldn't get loose by then.

For five minutes, I tried to work my ankle free without tearing it on the vicious-looking splinters of wood surrounding it, before Kara burst in through the ceiling, raining debris and wearing her Supergirl outfit.

"Barb! Are you okay?" she called frantically.

"I'm fine," I told her, mortified. "I just have issues with this floor."

In one swift motion, Kara tore the boards off out of their nails, then helped me up. As soon as I lost her support, my ankle buckled and I collapsed again.

"This is so embarrassing," I muttered as the hero scooped me off the ground and onto a crate, then blinked as the light falling from the ceiling lit her, throwing new colors into stark relief.

Kara had replaced her white short-sleeved shirt with a long-sleeved blue one, and the tight blue miniskirt with a looser, pleated red one. She had also gotten rid of her old white gloves and changed to a new style of red boots, trimmed in yellow. Combined with the haircut she had gotten last week, it made for a far more sophisticated image than her last costume. "Hey, nice uniform."

She shot me an exasperated look. "Is this really the time to be admiring my clothes?"

"I've never seen them before," I protested. "You don't keep superhero stuff in the closet." She stared at me. "Fine, fine," I relented. "See what you can do about the bomb."

Kara smiled wryly, before turning to the device and examining it. Reaching out, she touched a wire-- then stumbled backwards, coughing, as a cloud of gas rose up. She shook her head and staggered a little, before catching sight of the countdown clock and turning towards me with wide eyes.

"What--" I asked, before seeing the ticking hand myself. _Six seconds. That's bad._

Kara grabbed me and flew, making a new hole in the floor that was quickly obliterated by a roaring ball of fire. At the edge of the property, we were caught by the shockwave and tossed across the street, luckily onto a patch of grass instead of the hard asphalt.

I groaned, shaking the stars out of my eyes and sitting up. Brushing patches of white off my clothes, I dimly noticed the storm had lightened as I turned my attention to my knight in shining armor. "Kara?" She was lying eight feet away, motionless, limbs splayed awkwardly. Flakes of snow were drifting down onto her, melting to water as they made contact.

I crawled over, cursing my useless ankle and ignoring the liquid that soaked into my knees. "No, no, no," I muttered, brushing aside her blonde hair to check her pulse. It was there, but weak and thready, like it was about to give out. "Don't do this to me, Kara-- dammit, how the hell did I survive?" Her breathing was shallow and uneven.

"Somebody help!" I screamed. "Help!" I broke down, sobbing, as scores of heroes converged on our position from all angles.

---

With Kara teleported to the Watchtower for treatment and me temporarily out of a job, I returned to the apartment for an agitated wait. I managed to hold out for twenty-four hours, pacing around with a bound ankle and a pair of crutches, before I broke and sought out Batman.

I found him standing on top of the Wayne Enterprises building, cape billowing in the wind.

"How's Supergirl?" I asked anxiously.

"Why do you want to know?" he graveled in return.

"She's my friend."

"Really." It wasn't a question.

"I don't have time for your bullshit games!" I shouted. "I just want to know if she's going to live, or if it's my fault she's going to die!"

Batman surveyed me for a long moment. Then, he lifted a hand to his ear. "Watchtower, security access Alpha-Omega-Seven-Seven. Two for teleportation."

I could barely contain my amazement as a wash of blue-white light obscured my vision. When it cleared, I was standing on a platform in a large cylindrical room, surrounded by heroes.

"Hey, Bats," a blonde with gold goggles said. "What's with the extra security? Who's she?"

Dark Knight silenced them with a glare, sweeping off the teleportation pad. "This way."

I limped after him-- I had left my crutches on Earth, in a bush next to the Wayne Enterprises building-- passing rows of metal-covered doors. Batman stopped next to one and enunciated, "Nine one nine three nine." He placed his hand on a scanner-- I guess it must have scanned through the glove, because he didn't take it off.

"Access granted. Welcome, Batman." The reinforced doors slid open, and we walked into another hallway. This time, when we stopped, he spoke to me.

"Her condition is highly unstable, due to an unknown toxin in her system. Currently, all we can do is wait for her system to flush it out. She improves slightly under red sun radiation, and without it, she'd already be dead. There is an eleven percent chance of survival-- if her fever breaks, it will rise to fifty." He pushed a button, and the door slid open.

I gasped at the sight of Kara, still in her new uniform, laying on the hospital bed and bathed in bloody red light. She was surrounded by beeping machines-- her heartbeat looked abnormally fast-- and restrained with thick leather straps, and I touched one as I sat heavily in a chair next to the bed. "Why--"

"To keep her from injuring herself," Batman answered from the doorway.

"Oh," I whispered, barely aware of the slight thud of the door as the Dark Knight left.

Suddenly, Kara started thrashing against her bonds, rough whimpers sliding from her throat. Without hesitation, I reached out and smoothed back her damp bangs, interlacing the fingers of my free hand with hers. She was burning up; I half expected to find a raw blister on my palm if I examined it.

"Shh," I murmured. "You're fine, Kara. You'll be okay."

Gradually, she calmed down, settling limply with a sigh, the furrow in her brow hinting towards troubled dreams.

"Wake up. Please," I implored. "Wake up."

---

I wasn't sure how much time I spent sitting with Kara, watching every labored breath she took, but I was startled out of my reverie when a pneumatic hiss announced someone's arrival.

"I'm Huntress," she began slightly uncertainly. I glanced up, eyes refocusing to see a dark-haired woman, wearing a purple costume with a pointed mask and carrying a tray of food. I thought I had seen her once before, in Gotham, but it had been a while. "I thought you might be hungry."

I shrugged. She set the tray on an unoccupied chair, but didn't leave.

"It's not easy, huh?" she said.

"What?"

"Being a non-Leaguer dating a Leaguer." Huntress stared levelly.

She probably thought I would deny any mention of being romantically involved with Supergirl, but it was pretty obvious there was _something_ there, and I wouldn't want to deny anything anyway. Instead, I asked, "You're not a Leaguer?"

She smiled ruefully. "I'm only up here for the big emergency. Got kicked out for walking on the dark side."

"That's probably why I wouldn't be let in. You know, if I wanted to be." My gaze returned to Kara's form; she was shifting restlessly.

I could tell Huntress wanted to ask more questions, but she glided towards the door. "You should eat something. Won't do her any good if you're stuck in the room next to her."

Sighing, I reached over and picked up a sandwich.

---

Kara's sudden movement jarred me out of a light doze. She was wrenching against her restraints more strongly than before, pulling her joints to near-impossible and painful looking angles, and screaming hoarsely. Beside the bed, the heart monitor was going crazy, each dip in the graph becoming more frequent and the beeping steadily increasing in tempo.

I lunged across her, holding her down and using my weight to keep her from dislocating something. I could feel her hot skin through the material of her uniform, it was almost as if she was about to burst into flame.

"Kara!" I called, eyes wide. "Calm down! Please!"

"Barb!" she cried out plaintively, one hand searching blindly.

I grasped it with my own. "I'm here," I breathed softly.

"Don't leave," she muttered, still tense but not violent. "Please don't…"

"Never," I promised, sinking back in my chair.

"Love you," Kara mumbled, relaxing fully into the sweat-soaked sheets.

"I love you too," I whispered.

---

Shortly after, Martian Manhunter had come in, checked the readouts, unbuckled the leather straps, and left. Kara had settled into a natural sleep, devoid of the feverish dreams she had been prone to. Her temperature had dropped and her vitals were stable, but she still hadn't woken up.

I stared at Kara's face with intense concentration, as if I could wake her by sheer willpower alone. Fifty percent was nothing, right? She had already overcome the eleven. For a moment, I thought I saw an eyelid twitch, then dismissed it as a hopeful imagination. Then, she rolled over and looked at me, and for the first time in days, I saw her beautiful cerulean eyes.

"Barb?" she rasped.

I hastily poured her a glass of water from a handy jug nearby and smiled. "Morning, sunshine."

"How long was I out?" She took a long pull from the glass.

"A little over two days," a deeper voice cut in over the hiss of the door. We looked over to see Superman standing there in his red and blue glory. "That was a foolish thing to do, Kara."

"What?" she asked sassily. "Rescuing a civilian, or trying to disarm a bomb?"

"Going in without backup," he answered sternly. "That's what you have a team for."

Kara snorted derisively. "Kal, when Lois is in danger, do you wait for your team to mobilize? No. So don't criticize me for doing the same thing."

"That's--"

He was interrupted as a pack of teenagers poured in, most chattering excitedly. Unnoticed, I edged out as Kara assured the Titans she was "fine, really"-- where was the freaking bathroom on this tower?

---

Kara's room had cleared out by the time I found my way back to it, and she was sitting on the bed, waiting for me.

"Hey," she said, smiling. "Where've you been?"

"Around," I said vaguely. "Miss me?"

"You know I did," she said, pulling me down next to her.

"We gonna make out in the Watchtower now?" I asked mischievously. That would be sure to tick the heroes off.

"Maybe later," Kara grinned. "Just give me two seconds--" she stood up, then grimaced and staggered under the red sun lamps. "Make that twenty minutes. I want a shower, I feel kinda icky."

"Shall I join you?" I teased. "Maybe we could enlist in the Miles High Club."

Kara gave me a mock stern look, but ruined the effect when she flashed me a smile as she disappeared around the doorframe.

True to her word, Kara was back nineteen minutes later, her costume neatly folded and tucked under one arm. She had changed into a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt spotted with water from her slightly dripping hair.

"C'mon," she said, pulling the damp blonde strands into a messy bun. "J'onn cleared me to move out of the sickbay; let's go to my room."

"So," I began as I followed her through the monotonous corridors-- strange, you'd think Superhero Headquarters would be a bit more interesting. "Is it a normal Titan thing, having rooms up here? I thought you guys were a separate team."

"Technically we are, I guess," Kara said, stopping in front of a solid door. A quick code and handprint scan had it open, and I followed her through the reinforced portal. "Mostly we're left on our own," she continued, "but we're also reserve Leaguers, so we get most of the benefits-- and the drawbacks." She sounded vaguely irritated.

"Let me guess," I raised an eyebrow. "Authority issues?"

"The point of the _Teen_ Titans is for the _teen_agers to hang out, without the adults," Kara grumbled. "But no, we have our own team and they can still pull rank on us."

She hit the lock switch with a bit more force than necessary, and the door's two halves slid back to reveal a Spartan room with a bed, a desk, and not much else. "Here it is." The heroine flicked on the ultramodern light fixture attached to the ceiling. "I don't use it much, but the view's great." She sat down on the expanse of white sheets, tucking her knees up to her chin, and stared out the window at the cratered surface of the moon. Her slim figure was dwarfed by the large bed, I found myself wondering why the League would splurge on them.

I wandered over to the desk and examined the single sheet of paper tacked just above it. I recognized the photo printed on it from years ago, when Harley had convinced me to put on an impromptu juggling act with bottles of syrup. I hadn't even realized that Kara had taken a snapshot, but there it was.

In a sudden wave of affection, I took two steps over to the bed and enveloped Kara in an embrace, her back to my front, and buried my face in her hair. "I missed this," I mumbled, inhaling deeply and smelling the light citrus of her shampoo. "I didn't get to hug you when you were in a coma."

She laughed gently and turned around to kiss me. "Maybe we should catch up on everything we missed."

"Maybe we should."

Suddenly, the double bed was making a lot more sense.

---

I blinked groggily, rubbing my eyes as sunlight streamed in through the window, playing across my face. After those long hours of wakefulness, only interspersed with short, anxious, periods of slumber, I had dropped off almost immediately. On the other hand, Kara, after days of nothing but sleep, had elected to stay awake.

I let out a yawn and leaned back against Kara as she combed my long, red hair through her fingers. "That's nice," I mumbled, turning my head to give her a sleepy kiss. "How's your day?"

"Great." Kara grinned, lifting us both up to hover a few inches above the bed, before touching back down. "I got my powers back," she said contentedly. "Feels like a million bucks."

"Yeah?" I asked, not making an effort to hide my smile as I rolled to face her. "Bet I could top that."

"You'd be welcome to try," she challenged.

I didn't bother replying before leaning in and capturing her in a smoldering kiss. Kara sighed and pulled me closer even as I pulled back.

"How about that?"

"Mm, not quite," she teased, eyes darkening a shade. "Maybe you should keep trying."

Obediently, I dipped down again, this time running a hand under Kara's T-shirt and lightly skimming my nails across her hot skin.

Kara let out a muffled groan and gently extracted her fingers from where they were wound in my hair. I let her, knowing a careless move could have disastrous consequences.

Due to the nature of her powers, Kara had to keep a tight rein on any potentially destructive ability. If she lost control, any fragile object in the vicinity, specifically me, would be exposed to broken bones, burns, and/or airsickness. Because of this, our… emotionally charged moments were limited to the point where we hadn't consummated our relationship. The closest we had gotten was last night, when Kara didn't even have her powers, thanks to the red sun lamps.

"Everything okay?" I asked.

She took a few deep breaths. "It is now." With a mischievous smile, she reversed our positions, pinning me to the bed, and pressed her lips to mine as our bodies melded together. My eyes fluttered closed of their own accord, and I vaguely heard the faint protest of bending metal.

Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the door, and Kara withdrew, irritation apparent on her face.

"Maybe if we ignore them, they'll go away," I said breathlessly.

She hesitated for a second before leaning in again, and I lost myself in the sensations she invoked, the continued pounding fading into the background.

Then, a different noise intruded-- the hiss of the door opening, followed by an incensed shout. "Kara!"

"Kal!" Kara shrieked, sitting up. I recoiled in surprise. "Get out! The door was locked for a reason!"

"What are you doing!" Superman ignored her in favor of staring at me. "And with _her_!"

The next moment, Kara disappeared, even as I was still wondering whether to take offense to that last remark. By the time I caught up to her, she had already slammed Superman against the wall, restraining him with a death grip on his throat.

"If you have a problem with me and Barb because of your idiotic, misplaced sense of morality, you can save it," she hissed.

"She's a criminal," Superman insisted.

I considered reminding him that "she" was still in the room, thank you very much.

"Batman doesn't have a problem with dating criminals," Kara growled. "You don't nag him about his relationships."

"Batman's business isn't mine," he retorted. "Yours is. You're too young, you don't--"

"I am sixteen years older than you, Kal-El," she bit out, "and I'm of legal age. You have no say in who I'm allowed to date."

"She's a girl!"

My eyes widened sympathetically.

"I can't believe you!" Kara blew up. "What does that have to do with anything! You date girls, don't you!"

"That's not--" Superman began.

She steamrolled over his protests. "I can't believe you would be so bigoted! Some would say a relationship between two girls is better than one between a human and an alien!"

I didn't hear his reply, since the crowd of Justice Leaguers by the door drew my attention. "Um, hi," I said.

Startled, the two stopped mid-argument.

"Hey, Supes, what's going on?" asked a shirtless man in a red and yellow mask and loincloth. "Smells like something's up, if you know what I mean."

Superman turned red, and I snorted in amusement. Kara, however, wasn't so entertained.

"This is a private conversation," she snapped. I realized her eyes were glowing red from her suppressed heat vision, and she looked close to losing it.

As the heroes scattered, I got off the bed, straightening my clothes, and went to lay a hand on Kara's arm. I needed to calm her down, otherwise the impending super-powered fight would knock the Watchtower down around us.

Before either of the two aliens could start yelling again, I began, "Look, if you've got something to say about me, say it to me."

Kara let out a small sigh, the glow fading, then dropped the taller man to stand under his own power. I could see where the wall had warped from the force of her anger, and I made a mental note to never get Kara that mad at me.

"So," I prodded as Kara moved back to stand next to me in a show of support.

Superman spluttered for a second, then returned to his first line of reasoning. "Heroes just don't date criminals. It sets a bad example."

"Not applicable," I countered. "Last time I checked, bartending was a perfectly legal occupation. I don't steal things, kill people, or park in handicapped spots. Next."

He seemed at a loss for words.

"Are we done?" I asked sweetly. "Good." I turned to Kara. "Let's do lunch."

She smiled. "I hear the cafeteria two floors down has a great selection."

---

"What are they talking about?" I asked, taking a bite out of my hamburger. It seemed like whispers had been trailing me ever since I walked into the room, following me through the serving line and to the table we were sitting at. Kara was making faces over her pasta, and I could tell she was using her hearing to listen in.

She sighed, stabbing a shell with her fork. "You. Me. Kal. In various combinations." An expression of disgust crossed her face, and she set the fork down in revulsion. "At the same time."

"What's the working theory?" I asked curiously. I hadn't thought the rumor mill moved this fast, but I guess with super-speed on your side…

"I'm not sure you want to know."

"C'mon," I cajoled, chugging my drink, then thumping the empty glass on the table. "I could use a laugh."

"We're both sleeping with Superman," Kara mumbled, "but we didn't know about the other woman until today." She managed a small smile at my incredulous look. "Second is you seduced him to get onto the Watchtower, and I was trying to snap him out of it. Third, you seduced both him and Batman, and hypnotized me--"

"Okay, you can stop now," I shuddered.

"Told you."

"What I don't get is all this 'seduction' crap," I said. "That's Ivy's deal, not mine."

Kara grinned. "Actually, a couple of the guys think you _are_ Ivy. They're wondering when you're going to start dressing more provocatively."

"What?" That threw me for a complete loop. "How-- no way!"

"Must be the hair," the blonde joked. "How many redheads can Gotham have, anyway?"

"A lot," I muttered petulantly. "Really? I look nothing like her!"

Kara laughed, then glanced up in surprise at a table in the far corner. I followed her gaze to see a faceless man in a trench coat and fedora, talking to Huntress.

"What is it?"

"The Question," she said. "He's the only person in the entire tower to come to the right conclusion."

"Huntress knows," I told her. "She asked me when you were in your coma."

"That might explain it." Kara winced. "Some of these other theories are just ridiculous."

"How about we just put everyone on even footing?"

Kara stared a me for a second, before a smile spread across her face. "I like how you think. When?"

With a grin, I unhurriedly leaned over the table, calculating the action to get maximum attention. Then, moving even more slowly, I reached up a hand to cup Kara's cheek.

"Now," I whispered, before pulling her into a passionate kiss accompanied by the startled yells of our audience.

---

Eventually, Batman dropped the extra security measures he had apparently implemented just for me when enough heroes complained about it. The voice print matching and hand scanners were a bit much for everyday use, and people kept walking into doors they expected to open automatically.

When I wandered into the monitor womb for the first time, a few people gave me odd looks, but quickly returned to their stations when they noticed my raised eyebrows and Kara's glare. I caught them sneaking peeks at us out of the corner of my eye, most likely trying to verify the rumors that were flying around the cafeteria.

A screen flickered to life. "This is Javelin Six, access three-three-seven-nine, requesting landing."

Mr. Terrific flicked a switch and spoke into a microphone. "Javelin Six, you are cleared for landing in Bay Four."

"Roger that. Javelin Six out."

Seeing Kara's frown and the shifty glances radiating from around the room, I decided to lighten the mood.

"Oh, wow, the landing bay codes!" I said with an exaggerated brightness, pasting a fake smile across my face. "I can't wait to tell the gang!"

The look of alarm on the heroes' faces was worth it as I broke down in laughter.

---

Notes:

Roger and Thelma were Barbara's parents after the Crisis, and Jim was her uncle/adopted father.

The Teen Titans team roster is mostly from that really cute animated show, and I added Wonder Girl because apparently, the comics incarnation always had one of them.

Couldn't think of a restaurant name, so I stole La Bella Italia from the _Twilight _books.

The Clocktower is a reference to Birds of Prey.

Kara versus snow: from _Superman Adventures_ 21.

_Minutemen_ is a reference to _Watchmen_. I think it's also a movie about time travel.

Supergirl's costume change is from "Chaos at the Earth's Core."

The blonde with goggles is Booster Gold, the shirtless masked guy is B'wana Beast.

The eleven percent, fifty percent thing is from the _Rachel Morgan _series. I love those books.

Huntress is dating The Question, and she got kicked out of the League in "Double Date."


	4. Epilogue

**Survival**

by Raiko Toho

---

It was December thirty-first by the time we returned to Earth's surface.

"Well, we missed Christmas," I said, surveying the cheery plastic pine tree in the living room. "Just in time for the New Year, though. Coming?" We headed for the bedroom.

"Just in time," Kara scoffed, slightly disgruntled. Some of the Leaguers had been questioning the wisdom of letting me off the Watchtower, now that I knew their access codes, and she was a little fed up. "We've got, what, ten minutes until the ball drops?"

I flopped down on the bed, then scooted over; an invitation for Kara to sit. "It doesn't take ten minutes to turn on the TV." To prove my point, I flipped to the right channel. "No harm, no foul, right?"

She sighed, nestling next to me on the squashy cushions. "I guess."

"So, what are we going to do for the other nine minutes and thirty seconds?" I asked impishly.

Kara grinned back. "Listen to this band on TV."

"Ouch," I groaned theatrically. "Rejected!"

Kara laughed.

"Listen," I said, turning serious. "I brought something back from the Watchtower."

"What?" Kara's eyes widened as I pulled a single, red-tinted light bulb out of my jacket. "Is that--"

"A red sun lamp?" I completed. "Yeah. In case we… you know. If you want."

"Oh, I want." Kara seemed to glow in anticipation.

Flushing slightly, I switched out the bulb on the table lamp beside me, then flicked it on. Immediately, the room was bathed in its dim red light, and Kara pulled me closer as the final countdown began.

"Love you," she murmured softly. Our lips met as the ball dropped and the crowds in the square went wild. I smiled.

"Never doubted it for a second."

Living in Gotham is all about survival, and I've done that in spades. But when I met Kara, I went above and beyond that. I found a way to live.

---

Playlist

"America's Suitehearts" by Fall Out Boy

"As Long As You're Mine" from the Broadway musical _Wicked_

"Bad Reputation" by Joan Jett

"Complicated" by Avril Lavigne

"Dangerous and Sweet" by Lenka

"Glass Vase Cello Case" by Tattle Tale

"How Strange" by Emilie Autumn

"Juliet" by Emilie Autumn

"Learn to Fly" by Foo Fighters

"Let Go" by Dave Lichens

"My Life" by Billy Joel

"Perfect Day" by Hoku

"Sam's Town" by The Killers

"Somebody to Love" by Anne Hathaway

"Take My Hand" by The Cab

"The Resolution" by Jack's Mannequin

"Unwell" by Matchbox 20

"You and Me" by Lifehouse

Drink Index

Earthquake: Absinthe, Cognac

Harvey Wallbanger: Galliano, orange juice, vodka (doesn't actually taste good)

Joker: gin, Kool-Aid powder, orange juice, tonic water

Safe Sex on the Beach: cranberry juice, grapefruit juice, peach nectar

Quick Fuck: Bailey's Irish Cream, Midori liqueur

Notes:

And here's the end of the first installment of the _Stars Crossing Cycle._ I've got a sequel in the works, and also a few outtakes in the next chapter, so make sure to check those out. Thanks to Kalacyn, for beta-ing.


	5. Outtakes

**Survival**

by Raiko Toho

---

_(This takes place during the prologue, pretty much right after Barbara gets her job at the Iceberg, before she meets Batman for the first time, and during the events narrated in "Old Wounds.")_

Outtake: Cut-Off

So far, my job was okay-- I was getting the drinks out, but I needed to pick up the pace on busier days, and that would take some serious practice.

The door opened, and I looked up from the bar as a dark-haired man stumbled in.

"Gimme a beer," he slurred, sitting on, then falling off a stool.

"Um, I think you've had enough," I said cautiously.

"I said, gimme a beer!" He slapped a platinum credit card onto the counter.

I was saved from replying when my boss waddled over. "Is there a problem?" He caught sight of the card. "Ah, Mister Grayson! So nice to have you here in this fine establishment." Penguin leaned over the counter and whispered to me, "Get this young man whatever he asks for. And charge him a ten percent increase."

"Uh, yes sir," I said, sliding a Coors Light across the bar.

Grayson sat, drank, and mumbled under his breath; I eventually learned his name (Dick), his favorite beer (Sam Adams), and his opinion on Bruce Wayne (an effing bastard), among other random facts. Finally, he slumped down and stared into space-- not quite unconscious, probably closer to comatose than anything else.

Then, his phone started ringing-- a piercing shriek that had the other patrons glancing over in annoyance. Nervously, my eyes skimmed the Lounge, then I leaned over and fumbled in Dick's jacket, pulling out the offending gadget. As I was about to answer it, it fell silent, and I stared at the device.

Suddenly, it started up again, and I hastily flipped it open.

"Where. Are. You."

The voice on the other end was furious and icy.

"Um, hi," I cleared my throat. "Dick isn't available right now," I continued more confidently. "Can I take a message?"

"Who is this?"

"Just the friendly staff at your neighborhood Iceberg Bar and Lounge," I quipped.

There was silence, then a dial tone.

"Huh," I said, closing the phone and sticking it back into Dick's pocket.

Ten minutes later, Bruce Wayne pulled up, collected a very smashed ward, and left.

On the plus side, I got a huge tip.

---

_(This one's from part one.)_

Outtake: Flash the Stripper

Apparently, Superman had recruited the Justice League, the newly-formed Teen Titans, and various freelance heroes to irritate my roommate into submission. Wonder Woman had dropped by, saying something about how Kara had developed into a worthy young superhero, and was quickly followed by a letter from Steel and a parcel of tofu cookies from Beast Boy.

Coming back from the Iceberg, I sighed as I found yet another package on the doorstep. "Kara!" I called without bothering to check the label. She stuck her head out, and I gestured to the large box. She glanced at it, then narrowed her eyes and studied it closely.

"What?" I asked. Usually, she didn't hesitate before throwing her mail into the trash, unless it was from college. This definitely wasn't.

"There's… a person inside this box," Kara said slowly.

"Is it a stripper?" I joked.

"No, it's…" she squinted. "It's the Flash."

"That's almost as good," I deadpanned.

Kara stared at me, then burst out laughing.

_(The "stripper in a box thing" is a fairly common joke among my crazy group of friends. "I'm not signing for _that_ package!")_

---

_(Also during part one.)_

Outtake: Leave a Message

The phone rang, and I stared at it in apprehension.

"To answer or not to answer," I mused. If it was a hero, I would be fine with letting it ring off the hook-- they had been bothering me and Kara for way too long. However, if it was a rogue, they would be seriously pissed if they needed me for a job and I didn't answer. With a sigh, I hit the speaker button.

"Redmond residence."

"Hi, is, um, Kara there?" a voice asked.

"May I ask who's calling?"

"Donna Troy."

The name sounded vaguely familiar, and I recalled a newscast about Wonder Girl, a new superheroine with her Justice League counterpart's lasso and bracelets.

"Sorry, she's not interested."

"Okay, thanks." It sounded like she had expected this response. I sighed in relief as I heard a dial tone-- most of the other heroes were a lot more tenacious about talking to Kara.

The phone rang again, and I jabbed the button with more force than necessary. "What!"

"Now, Barbie, didn't your parents teach you any manners?"

I scowled. This was one rogue I wouldn't mind ignoring. "What do you want, Joker?"

"Perhaps you know where in the world my little jester skipped off to," he grinned; I could tell, even through the phone.

"No," I said shortly.

"Oh dear," the clown pronounced dramatically. "I suppose I shall have to go on--"

"Whatever," I said, hanging up. Not the smartest move, but I wasn't in the mood to hear the Joker ranting on in my ear.

There was a shrill ring, and I sighed as I answered the phone yet again. "Hello?"

"Barb, it's Ivy. Could you take care of the greenhouse? I've got a bit of an… emergency on my hands." The woman sounded distracted and slightly panicked.

"On my way," I said, grabbing my keys. Now I was glad I hadn't unplugged the handset-- too bad only one out of three phone messages was worth listening to. _I have _got_ to figure out a way to screen my calls._

-

"Hi, you've reached Barb's phone. If this is an emergency, and don't you dare abuse this feature, press one. If you are Harvey, press twenty-two. If you are Ivy, press three. If you are from or representing Gotham State University, press forty-two. If you are Eddie, press the first palindromic Fibonacci number . If you are Jervis, press six. If you are looking for Kara, justice is a seven-letter word. If you are Harley, press eight. If you are Selina, press nine. If you are Penguin, press pound. If you are Joker, press END. If you are not on this list, press zero. To repeat this message, press star." The answering machine beeped once and fell silent.

"What's this?" Kara asked, amused.

"It's my new system," I informed her. "Since I can't use caller ID-- you know, most of the capes and rogues have untraceable numbers-- I'm screening my calls with the machine. That way, when they get forwarded to my cell, I know who's calling, and the people who are looking for you get redirected to your phone."

"My phone?"

I handed her the slim black cell I had bought earlier.

"Cool."

"Yeah. And anyone who presses seven will be put on hold until you decide you want to talk to them."

Kara grinned. "So what if I want to call you?"

"There are two phones in the world that know my cell number," I said seriously. "One is the house phone. The other is yours."

_(Numbers: Twenty-two should be fairly obvious. Ivy is three-- like "leaves of three, leave them be." Forty-two is the answer to life, the universe, and everything-- from _Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_. The first palindromic Fibonacci number is 55. Six is the denominator of the Mad Hatter fraction thing in the hat. Justice has seven letters and the Justice League has seven members. Coincidence? Eight, like "Crazy Eights" is from issue 45 of _The Batman Strikes!_, as is nine for nine lives. And "pound" is a reference to Penguin's… weight-challenged-ness.)_

---

_(Part two, when Barbara leaves after Kara wakes up.)_

Outtake: Warning Signs

I huffed in frustration as I came upon yet another locked door.

"Stupid Watchtower," I growled, banging ineffectively on the reinforced metal. "No maps, no signs, no anything! What to you have to do to find something around here?" I gave the door one last whack before sighing and starting back down the corridor.

I tried each door as a reflex more than anything else, since they would most likely be locked. Every single other door I had tried was, why should these be any different?

It was a surprise when, just as I stepped up to it, one door slid open with the characteristic pneumatic hiss of the Watchtower. In a corner of my brain, I wondered what these people had against doorknobs, before my attention snapped to the equally startled blonde man I was face to face with in the doorway. He was wearing a towel, and not much else.

He blinked for a second, then smiled suavely. "New hero? Not much of a uniform."

I glanced down at my comfortable jeans and the hooded sweatshirt with the Bat logo-- worn to annoy Batman-- then back up at the man. "I could say the same to you."

"Touché," he grinned. "I'm Green Arrow."

"Barb," I returned. "Is this the bathroom?"

"Down the hall and to the right," he directed.

I waited until the door hissed shut before breaking out in giggles. Apparently, Green Arrow showers with his mask on.

_(Not exactly sure where this came from, but I think it was from a funny post on someone's LiveJournal.)_

_---_


End file.
